Apparatus and method for winding and packaging web material



J. 4.. HAWKINS ET AL 3,416,287

Dec. 17, 1968 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WINDING AND PACKAGING WEB MATERIAL Filed Aug. 19, 1966' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS'.

JOHN L. HAwmNs andNEWMAN MQINTYRE- M5!%J%,MM

ATTORNEYS Dec. 17, 1968 J. HAWKINS ETAL 3,416,287

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WINDING AND PACKAGING WEB MATERIAL Filed Aug. 19, 1966 3-Sheets-Sheet z ATTORNEX NEWMAN MEINTYRE INVENTORS; JOHN L.HAwK|Ns and Dea 17, 1968 J, HAWKINS ETAL 3,416,287

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WINDING AND PACKAGING WEB MATERIAL Filed Aug. 19, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 121 kn o BYf #1 INVENTORS HN L. HAwKms IIIIIIIIIIII' 'IIIIII'II and NEWMAN M INTYRE- MM%A4W/MJ,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WINDING AND PACKAGING WEB MATERIAL John L. Hawkins and Newman McIntyre, Shelby, N.C.,

assignors to McIntyre Packaging, Incorporated, Hickory, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Aug. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 573,647 Claims. (Cl. 53-3) The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for winding and packaging strand or web material, such as elastic tape, ribbon, shoelaces or the like, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for forming such packages by first forming a circular coil of the material, then flattening the coil and thereafter applying a labeling band around the medial portion of the flattened coil to maintain the same in this condition. Strand winding machines of this type are disclosed in US. Patent Nos. 2,654,980 and 3,024,580.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved machine of this type which is of a more simplified nature permitting higher speed operations and greater ease in machine maintenance, and further to provide an improved method of operation thereof, particularly in connection with the packaging of elastic tapes with which the instant is especially concerned.

Pursuant to this end, in accordance with the instant invention the wrapped packages of material are formed by initially winding the web material in a circular coiled condition on a rotating mandrel, stripping the circular coil from the mandrel while frictionally engaging opposite side edge portions of the web material to resiliently maintain the material in the circularly coiled condition, applying a force in one direction to the periphery of the wound convolutions and in a direction laterally of the axis of the coil to overcome the force resiliently maintaining the material in the circular condition to thereby flatten and elongate the coil as it is moved in a lateral direction to a packaging station, and then applying a band around the flattened and elongated coil to maintain the same in this condition.

Some of the objects of the invention having ben stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the winding apparatus and illustrating the elastic tape feeding means in cross seciton;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary isometic view of the winding head and the label applying station associated therewith;

FIGURES 3-7 are somewhat schematic vertical sectional views through the forward end of the winding mandrel and illustrating the various stages of operation during the winding and flattening of the elongated coil;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 88 in FIGURE 7 and illustrating the manner in which the elongated coil is forced down into the label applying and storage chute;

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 but showing the parts in different operational positions; and

FIGUR-ES l0 and 11 are vertical sectional views taken substantially along the line 10-10 in FIGURE 4 and illustrating the two positions of the tape cutting device.

Generally, the present apparatus includes a rotatable mandrel, broadly indicated at 15, and about one end of which the elastic tape is adapted to be wound in overlying convolution. Presssure plate means, broadly indicated at 16, surrounds the free end of the mandrel and is adapted to frictionally engage opposite side portions of the tape wound onto the free end of the mandrel. Relative movement between the mandrel 15 and the pres- 3,416,287 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 sure plate means 16 is provided for stripping the Wound tape from the free end of the mandrel upon completion of the winding operation and the frictional engaging pressure plate means maintains the tape in the coiled condition after it is stripped from the mandrel. A plunger, broadly indicated at 17, cooperates with the pressure plate means and is adapted to move laterally of the axis of the coil for applying a force in one direction to the periphery of the wound convolutions to flatten the convolutions. Means in the form of a package receiving and wrapping chute, broadly indicated at 20, is provided to cooperate with the movement of the plunger for receiving the collapsed convolutions of wound tape and for applying a wrapper around a medial portion thereof to form an elongated package of the tape.

Only those portions of the apparatus are shown which are necessary to an understanding of the invention, it being understood that any suitable driving mechanism may be utiiized to impart the required movement to the parts shown in the drawings. For example, the required rotation of the mandrel 15 may be imparted thereto by a one revolution clutch drive arrangement such as shown in the Newman McIntyre U.S. Patent No. 3,024,580.

The drive means may also include main and auxiliary cam shafts, similar to those illustrated in the aforesaid McIntyre patent, for withdrawing the mandrel and imparting the required movements to the other parts.

The apparatus includes a support frame 21 having a horizontally disposed main support plate or platform 22 suitably secured thereto. The platform 22 supports the lower ends of frame arms 23, (FIGURE 1) the upper ends of which support and guide the vertically movable plunger 17. The upper ends of support arms 24 are suitably secured to the platform 22 and their lower ends slidably support and guide opposite sides of the package receiving chute 20 for vertical movement (FIGURE 1).

The pressure plate means 16 includes a front pressure plate 25 (FIGURE 2) which is suitably connected at its lower portion to the platform 22, and a rear pressure plate 26 which has a central bore in which the front end of the mandrel 15 is positioned for longitudinal movement toward and away from the front pressure plate 25.

The four corners of the rear pressure plate 26 are supported for sliding movement on the medial portions of support rods 27, the front ends of which are suitably secured in the front pressure plate 25. The rear ends of the support rods 27 are fixed in the upper ends of standards 28, supported at their lower ends for adjustment on the platform 22. Springs 30 surround the portions of the rods 27 between the rear pressure plate 26 and the standards 28 to normally urge the rear pressure plate 26 forwardly toward the front pressure plate 25. The forward movement of the rear pressure plate 26 is restricted by means of stop nuts 32 threaded onto the rods 27. The nuts 32 may be adjusted to thereby vary the distance between the inner faces of the pressure plates 25, 26.

The elastic tape T (FIGURE 1), is preferably withdrawn from a suitable supply container 35 by means of feed rolls 36, 37 and fed into a reserve container 40. From the reserve container 40, the tape T is directed upwardly over a guide roll 42 and through a guide chute 43 which is supported in any suitable manner in substantial horizontal alignment with the axis of rotation of the mandrel 15, as best shown in FIGURES 3-5.

As the elastic tape T is withdrawn from the supply container 35 by the feed rolls 36, 37, it is preferred that it pass over an idler roller 44 and beneath a detector switch 45 which is operable to detect bunched or twisted tape as it is pulled from the supply container 35 and stop operation of the apparatus. Another detector switch 46 is provided above the reserve supply container 40 so that in the event the elastic tape T is being wound fast enough to place tension on the tape extending from the feed roll 36 to the roll 42, the apparatus will be stopped and the condition can be corrected by the operator. This switch 46 is provided so that the tape T may be fed to and wound onto the mandrel 15 in unstretched condition and under very little tension.

A strip of label or wrapper material L is fed beneath the winding station and mandrel 15 from a suitable label supply source, not shown, and between feed rolls 50, 51 (FIGURES 8 and 9) between a fixed cutter blade 52 and a movable cutter blade 53, and beneath the pres- Sure plates 25, 26. As the package receiving chute 20 moves upwardly to a position immediately below the pressure plates 25, 26, to receive a wound package in flattened condition, the forward edge portion of the chute 20 clamps the label material L against the lower edge of the front pressure plate 25 to hold the same. As the plunger 17 moves downwardly to flatten and move the tape into the upper end of the chute 20, as shown in FIGURE 8, a sufficient supply of the label material L is pulled through the feed rolls 50, 51 by the package of flattened coil of tape P.

After the blade 53 moves upwardly to cut the label material, a sufiicient length of material is left on opposite sides of the package P to be folded over and sealed to completely surround the package P. The front portion of the chute 20 has a folding plate 54 supported on the upper end of an arm 54a which is in turn fixed to a control shaft 54b (FIGURE 2). A lever 55 is connected to the shaft 54b and a control link 55a imparts movement to the shaft 54b and the folding plate 54 so that when the chute 20 is lowered to the position shown in FIGURE 9, the folding plate 54 will move to the position shown to fold one free flap of the label material L over the upper edge of the flattened coil P.

Another flap folding member 56, preferably in the form of a heated iron, is suitably supported at opposite ends on the upper ends of a pair of arms 57, the lower ends of which are fixed on a control shaft 58 (FIG- URE 2). A lever 59 is connected to the shaft 58 and a control link 60 imparts movement to the folding and heat sealing member 56. As the chute 20 moves to the lowermost position, shown in FIGURE 9, the heat sealing and folding member 56 swings upwardly above the chute 20 to engage the free end of the label and fold it upon and heat seal it to the previously folded free end to completely wrap the medial portion of the tape package P.

The heat sealing and folding member 56 may be heated by any suitable means. The member 56 need not be heated if it is desired to use a stiff leadfoil type label material.

The vertical movement of the chute 20 is controlled by means of links 62 connected at their upper ends to opposite sides of the chute 20, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The links 62 may be controlled by any suitable type cam shaft mechanism to raise and lower the chute 20 in timed relationship to operation of the mandrel 15 and plunger 17. The operation of the flap folding members 54, 56 is controlled in timed relationship to vertical movement of the chute 20 so that when the chute 20 is in its uppermost position, as shown in FIGURE 8, the folding elements are in their outermost position. When the chute 20 moves to its lowermost position, as shown in FIGURE 9, the folding elements swing up and inwardly to fold over the free ends of the label material, the medial portion of which extends beneath the package P. The packages P are frictionally supported in the chute 20 and as successive packages are forced into the upper end of the chute 20, the completed packages P successively drop out of the lower end of the chute 20 and into any suitable container.

A scissors type cutter (including a fixed lower blade 64 and a movable upper blade 65) is supported for move- 4 V ment through slots 25a, 26a in the front and rear pressure plates 25, 26, as shown in FIGURE 11, to cut the elastic tape T upon completion of the winding of convolutions. The blades 64, are normally held in the open position shown in FIGURES l0 and 11 by a resilient torsion spring 65a (FIGURE 2) surrounding the pivot shaft. The blades are supported on a slide plate 66 (FIGURE 2) which is slidable in a guideway 67 extending outwardly from the lower portion of the front pressure plate 25. An operating extension 68 is formed on the front end of the movable blade 65 and when the cutter is moved inwardly, by means of a control link 70 (FIGURE 2), this extension is aligned above a vertically movable control shaft 71 which is raised in timed relationship to operation of the apparatus so that the upper blade moves down into cutting contact with the lower blade 64 to thereby cut the tape T (FIGURE 11).

Tape supporting and guiding means in the form of a relatively thin and narrow plate 75, is supported for sliding movement beneath the tape guiding chute 43 (FIG- URES 3-5). A link 76 connects the plate with an eccentric 77 which is supported on a control shaft 78. The purpose and operation of the plate 75 will be presently described.

The lower end of a tape feeding dog 80 is positioned in engagement with the upper surface of the tape T as it passes along the guide chute 43 (FIGURES 35). The upper end of the feeding dog 80 is pivotally supported on the front end of a control link 81, the rear end of which is connected to an eccentric 82 which is fixed on a control shaft 83. The purpose and operation of the feed dog 80 will be presently described.

The forward end of the mandrel 15 is slotted as at 84 to receive the free end of the tape T before beginning the winding operation and a sleeve 85 is supported in the mandrel 15 (FIGURE 3). The sleeve 85 is provided with a slot 86 which is normally maintained in alignment with the slot 84 in the mandrel 15. The sleeve 85 begins to rotate in a counterclockwise direction in FIGURE 4 as rotation is initially imparted to the mandrel 15 so that the free end of the tape T is gripped by the slots 84, 86 so that the reserve supply of tape is pulled from the reserve supply container 40 as the tape T is wound in overlying convolutions on the end of the mandrel 15. When the mandrel 15 stops rotating, the sleeve 85 moves in a clockwise direction so that the slots 84, 86 are again aligned, as shown in FIGURE 5, to release the inner end of the tape T so that it may be removed from the end of the mandrel, in a manner to be presently described.

It is at times desirable, for purposes to be presently described, to back the rear pressure plate 26 further away from the front pressure plate 25. To this end, control links 90 (FIGURE 2) are connected at their front ends to opposite sides of the rear pressure plate 26 and their rear ends are connected to the lower ends of levers 91, the upper ends of which are fixed on a control shaft 92. The medial portions of the links 90 pass through suitable openings in the standards 28. The control shaft 92 is supported adjacent opposite ends for oscillation in the upper ends of standards 93, the lower ends of which are suitably supported on the support platform 22. The upper end of a lever 94 is fixed on the control shaft 92 and a control link 95 is connected to the lower end thereof. Movement of the control link 95 in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 2 causes the rear plate 26 to back away from the front plate 25.

Operation Assuming that the apparatus is in the position shown in FIGURE 7, that is where the plunger 17 has just completed the flattening of a coil of elastic tape and forced the same into the upper end of the receiving chute 20, the winding and forming of one package of tape will be described. As shown in FIGURE 7, the mandrel 15 has stopped with the slots therein facing the feed chute 43 and the plunger 17 has bent the free end of the tape T downwardly. As the plunger 17 is raised to the position shown in FIGURE 3, the chute 20 is lowered to the position shown in FIGURE 9 and the folding elements 54 and 56 swing in and fold over the free ends of the label material L on the upper surface of the package P. While this folding step is taking place and as the plunger 17 is being raised, the rear pressure plate 26 is moved back and then the guide plate 75 (FIGURE 3) moves inwardly toward the mandrel 15 so that the free end of the tape T is aligned with the slots 84, 86. Movement is then imparted to the shaft 83 to move the feed dog 80 forwardly and feed the free end of the tape into the slots 84, 86.

As rotation of the mandrel beings in a counterclockwise direction, the inner sleeve 84 will first move to clamp the free end of the tape T, as shown in FIGURE 5, so that the tape T is withdrawn from the reserve supply container 40 as it is wound in overlying convolutions on the mandrel 15. As rotation of the mandrel 15 begins, the rear pressure plate 26 moves back toward the front pressure plate 25 (against the stop nuts 32) so that the distance between the inner faces of the pressure plates is slightly less than the width of the tape T so that these plates frictionally engage opposite edges of the tape T.

While the mandrel 15 is being rotated, the guide plate 75 and feed dog 80 move back to the position shown in FIGURE 5 so that the tape extends from the free end of the chute 43 to the lower portion of the package so that it is in alignment to be cut at the completion of the winding cycle. After a predetermined number of revolutions of the mandrel 15, to provide the desired length of elastic tape in the package, the mandrel is stopped in the position shown in FIGURE 5. The cutting blades 64, 65 (FIG- URE 10) then move inwardly through the slots 25a, 26a in the front and rear pressure plates 25, 26 to the position shown in FIGURE 11 where the blades are positioned above and below the tape T. The control rod 71 is then raised to lower the upper blade 65 and cut the tape T. As rotation of the mandrel 15 is stopped, the inner sleeve 85 moves slightly in a clockwise direction so that the slots '84, 86 are aligned to free the inner end of the coiled tape.

During the winding step, an additional length of label material L is fed by the feed rolls 50, 51, as shown in FIGURE 9, and the chute is raised to clamp the front end of the label material L against the lower edge of the plate 25. Upon completion of the Winding and cutting steps, the mandrel 15 is withdrawn, as shown in FIGURE 8, so that the coiled tape is frictionally held in the circular coiled condition by the frictional engagement of the inner faces of the front and rear pressure plates 25, 26 against opposite edge portions thereof.

After the mandrel 15 is withdrawn, the plunger 17 moves downwardly to engage and apply a force in a downwardly direction against the periphery of the wound convolutions to flatten the same as the coil is moved downwardly toward the receiving chute 20, as shown in FIG- URE 6. As the coil of tape is forced into the upper end of the chute 20 by the plunger 17 (FIGURE 7), the label material is drawn from the supply and extends beneath the flattened convolutions of tape. The label material L is then cut by the blades 52, 53 (FIGURES 8 and 9). As the plunger 17 is again raised to begin another cycle, the chute 20 is lowered and the free ends of the label are folded and heat sealed together.

The winding and package forming apparatus disclosed in this application operates in a rapid manner to initially form the overlying convolutions of elastic tape around the free end of the mandrel 15 and as the mandrel is withdrawn, the operation of the plunger 17 is timed to quickly flatten the coil as it is moved toward and into the receiving chute. In the present apparatus, control of the coil is maintained by means of the frictional engagement of the pressure plates 25, 26 until the flattened coil moves into the receiving chute 20 and has the wrapper applied to the medial portion thereof. Thus, the present apparatus provides means for rapidly winding and forming packages of web material, such as elastic tape and the like, while retaining positive control of the material throughout the period it is being wound and then flattened.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for forming a package of web material such as elastic tape and the like comprising:

(a) a rotatable mandrel about which the web material is adapted to be wound in overlying convolutions,

(b) means surrounding the mandrel and adapted to frictionally engage opposite side edge portions of the web material wound onto the mandrel,

(c) said mandrel and said last recited means being relatively movable for stripping the wound web material from the mandrel,

(d) plunger means, cooperating with said means for frictionally engaging opposite side edges of the wound convolutions of web material, for applying a force to the periphery of wound convolutions to collapse and flatten the convolutions, and

(e) means associated with said plunger means for receiving the collapsed convolutions of wound material and for applying a wrapper around a medial portion thereof to thus form a package of web material.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means (b) comprises:

( 1) a front pressure plate supported in a fixed position,

(2) a rear pressure plate aligned with and spaced from said front pressure plate, said rear pressure plate having a centrally located bore therein adapted to slidably receive a forward free end portion of said rotatable mandrel, and

(3) said rotatable mandrel being movable longitudinal into and out of the space between said front and rear pressure plates in timed relationship to operation of said plunger means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means (e) comprises:

(1) a package receiving chute disposed in a substantially vertical position and having an open upper end, said chute bein movable between a position with the open upper end closely adjacent the lower edges of said front and rear pressure plates and in alignment with the space therebetween, and a position spaced from said pressure plates,

(2) the movement of said chute into position closely adjacent said pressure plates being timed with operation of said plunger means to receive the flattened convolutions as said plunger means is moved downwardly between said pressure plates, and

(3) folding means associated with said package receiving chute and operable when said chute is in the lowered position to fold the wrapper material over the medial portion of the flattened convolutions.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 including:

(f) wrapper feeding means for directing a predetermined length of wrapper material beneath the lower edges of said pressure plates, said wrapper feeding means being operable in timed relation to movement of said plunger means to position the wrapper material beneath said pressure plates prior to downward movement of said plunger means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3 including:

(f) wrapper feeding means for directing a predetermined length of wrapper material beneath the lower edges of said pressure plates, said Wrapper feeding means being operable in timed relation to movement of said plunger means to position the wrapper mate rial beneath said pressure plates prior to downward movement of said plunger means to flatten and move the wound convolutions into said chute means,

(g) means for holding the leading end of the wrapper material as the flattened convolutions are moved into said chute to draw additional wrapper material and provide suflicient wrapper material to extend beneath the flattened convolutions, and

(h) means for cutting the wrapper material in spaced relation from the flattened convolutions and after the flattened convolutions have been moved into said chute to provide a free end flap portion on one side of the flattened convolutions.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2 including means supporting said rear pressure plate for movement toward and away from said front pressure plate.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 including resilient means engaging said rear pressure plate and urging the same toward said front pressure plate, stop means limiting the movement of said rear plate toward said front plate, said stop means being adjustable to vary the frictional engagement of the web material by said plates.

8. A method of forming a package of web material such as elastic tape comprising the steps of:

(a) winding a predetermined length of web material in overlying convolutions about a mandrel,

(b) stripping the wound convolutions from the mandrel while frictionally engaging opposite side edges of the wound convolutions to substantially maintain the convolutions in their wound form after removal from the mandrel,

(c) moving the stripped convolutions to a packaging station while flattening the convolutions by applying a force to the periphery of the wound convolutions, and

(d) applying a wrapper around the medial portion of the flattened convolutions to form a package of web material.

9. A method according to claim 8 including the steps (e) feeding a strip of wrapper material beneath the mandrel and above an open passageway at the packaging station,

(f) holdin the leading end of the wrapper material while moving the wound convolutions against the wrapper material and into the passageway to position the wrapper material around bottom and side portions of the flattened convolutions,

(g) cutting the wrapper material to provide a trailing end in spaced relation from the flattened convolutions, and

(h) folding the leading and trailing ends of the wrapper material over the flattened convolutions to complete the wrapper.

10. A method of forming packages of web material such as elastic tape comprising the steps of:

(a) winding a predetermined length of Web material in overlying convolutions about a mandrel,

(b) stripping the wound convolutions from the mandrel while frictionally engaging opposite side edges of the Wound convolutions to substantially maintain the convolutions in their wound form after removal from the mandrel,

(c) moving the Wound convolutions toward and onto a wrapper at a packaging station while collapsing and flattening the convolutions by applying a force to the periphery of the Wound convolutions, and

(d) positioning the wrapper around the medial portion of the collapsed convolutions to maintain the same in collapsed condition and form a package from the web material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,627,151 2/1953 McIntyre 53-123 X 2,654,980 10/1953 Dexter 53198 X TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner.

R. L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,416,287 December 7, 1 6

John L. Hawkins et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 26, after "instant" insert invention line 42, "ben" should read been line 68, "convolution" should read convolutions Column 6, line 45, the claim reference numeral 1" should read 2 Signed and sealed this 17th day of March 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Eduard M. Fletcher, Jr. Attesting Officer 

8. A METHOD OF FORMING A PACKAGE OF WEB MATERIAL SUCH AS ELASTIC TAPE COMPRISING THE STEP OF; (A) WINDING A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF WEB MATERIAL IN OVERLYING CONVOLUTIONS ABOUT A MANDREL, (B) STRIPPING THE WOUND CONVOLUTIONS FROM THE MANDREL WHILE FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING OPPOSITE SIDES EDGES OF THE WOUND CONVOLUTONS TO SUBSTANTIALLY MAINTAIN THE CONVOLUTIONS IN THEIR WOUND FORM AFTER REMOVAL FROM THE MANDREL, (C) MOVING THE STRIPPED CONVOLUTIONS TO A PACKAGING STATION WHILE FLATTENING THE CONVOLUTIONS BY APPLYING A FORCE TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE WOUND CONVOLUTIONS, AND (D) APPLYING A WRAPPER AROUND THE MEDIAL PORTION OF THE FLATTENED CONVOLUTIONS TO FORM A PACKAGE OF WEB MATERIAL 